OREANDA-NEWS. February 24, 2010. France intends to develop economic cooperation with the Gomel oblast, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France to Belarus Michel Raineri told reporters in Gomel on 23 February. The French Ambassador is in the Gomel oblast on a visit on 22-23 February.

There is a big potential for such cooperation, says Michel Raineri. The Ambassador stressed that the working visit to the Gomel oblast is his first trip to Belarusian regions, as the oblast is the area of many joint projects. In particular, a French-Belarusian Institute of Public Administration has been operating at Frantsysk Skorina Gomel State University for 17 years already. The graduates of this university are awarded with French state diplomas. Some 128 students are studying at this university. Gomel and the French city of Clermont-Ferrand are successfully developing twin-city relations. A joint French-Belarusian company Komkont operates in the Gomel-Raton Free Economic Zone. France also renders humanitarian assistance to the regions that were the most severely affected by the Chernobyl accident.

Michel Raineri traveled to the Bragin region on 22 February. He visited the regional hospital, local museum, and the 30km exclusion zone. On 23 February the French Ambassador met with the Gomel oblast administrations. The sides discussed the issues of further cooperation. The diplomat also paid a visit to the Gomel-Raton Free Economic Zone, and Frantsysk Skorina Gomel State University.